WATERLOO-Hawkeye Community College is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Nurse Aide Olympics on Wednesday, June 10, to honor local Certified Nursing Assistants. The event will be held in Tama Hall on the college’s campus, located at 1501 East Orange Road. There will be two sessions: 8:00 a.m. noon and 3:00 7:00 p.m. This event is open to the public.

The Nurse Aide Olympics is being held in memory of Gladys Petersen, a part-time nurse aide instructor at Hawkeye who passed away in March. In honor of Petersen, the Gladys Petersen Direct Care Worker of the Year Award has been created to recognize an individual who has gone above and beyond in their role as a direct care worker. Individuals may be nominated by co-workers, supervisors, or the family of someone they care for.

Twelve teams will be participating in the Nurse Aide Olympics. Participants are from the area the college serves, which includes the counties of Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Benton, Butler, Grundy, Chickasaw, Tama, Fayette, and Floyd. The Olympic events include wheel chair races, bed races, bedpan toss, blind-fold feeding, bed making, balloon shaving, and other games. A trophy will be awarded to the team who has the most overall points.

Businesses interested in helping to sponsor the event or individuals who would like to nominate someone for the Gladys Petersen Direct Care Worker of the Year Award should contact Victor Palmer at 296-2329, ext. 1481 or vpalmer@hawkeyecollege.edu.